Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteers of Buncombe County

Soils & Fertilizers

NCDA&CS Soil Labs Now Accepting Soil Test Samples

The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) announced Tuesday that they are now open to test soil samples submitted by the general public.  To help limit the spread of COVID-19, the labs had restricted their testing as of March 12, 2020, to agriculture.

The labs continue to operate with reduced staffing and turnaround time for routine soil sample results may be longer than usual.  Soil testing is offered at no charge to North Carolina residents from April through November.

Soil test kit

Get soil test kits at the Extension office
Soil test boxes, sample information forms, and instructions are available outside the front door at the Buncombe County Cooperative Extension office, 49 Mount Carmel Road, Asheville.  

Taking the sample
The instruction sheet, A Guide to Soil Sampling—A Soil Test Is Only as Good as the Soil Sample Taken!, explains how to take your sample. Using a clean, stainless steel or chrome-plated trowel, dig about 6 inches deep in 4 or 5 spots in the testing area. Place the soil samples in a clean plastic bucket or bowl and mix well. If the soil is wet, wait for it to dry out before mixing. Fill the soil test box to the fill line and label the box.  

Where to sample
Take several soil samples from different areas of your yard and use a separate box for each sample. Suggested sample areas include: lawn, vegetable garden, flowerbeds, landscape trees and shrubs, roses, azaleas, rhododendrons, blueberries, and other fruits and berries.  

Complete the sample information form and mail
Complete an information form for each soil sample, note any lime applications you’ve made in the last 12 months, and indicate the Lawn and Garden Planting Code for the area sampled. You’ll also need to provide an email address for your results.

Place the information form on top of your soil test boxes in a cardboard box and mail to the address listed on the form. It is helpful to keep a record to remind yourself of where you took each sample.

After the lab has tested the soil samples, you will receive a test report with recommendations for fertilizer and pH amendment.

For more information on how to take a good sample, see Soil Sampling Home Lawns and Gardens.

Article written by Beth Leonard, Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteer.

Using Soil Test Results from Prior Years for Yards and Home Gardens

The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) lab has scaled back its testing, making home soil testing another casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic. But, homeowners may be able to use the recommendations from a previous year’s test to maintain their yards and gardens.  If you had a soil analysis from 2017 to 2020, those results are still available and useful.

An April 8 press release by the NCDA&CS Agronomic Services Division provides the following guidance:

“At this time, the lab is accepting only diagnostic soil samples from agricultural clients,” said David Hardy, Soil Lab section chief. “Generally, soil testing is advised every 2 to 3 years. If you submitted soil samples to be tested in this timeframe, you can still use the recommendations from these past reports.”

“If lime was applied based on a [prior] report, it is unlikely that additional lime is needed for the upcoming growing season,” Hardy said. “Routine application of lime is never advised since soil pH may be raised too high. Using the same fertilizer recommendations [from a prior report] will provide satisfactory results for homeowners wanting to fertilize this year.”

Our Buncombe County Extension Master Gardener Helpline can help you get access to reports for soil tests done from 2017 to 2020.  They can also explain the reports and interpret the results.  To retrieve a copy of your past soil test report, give the Garden Helpline a call or send an email.

Two ways to contact the Garden Helpline
Call 828-250-4878
Email questions and photos to buncombemg@gmail.com

Garden Helpline hours
Mondays and Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Fridays, 10 a.m. to noon

More information
Soil Testing Limited to Essential to Agriculture, March 26, 2020 blog  https://www.buncombemastergardener.org/soil-testing-limited-essential-agriculture/

Soil Tests:  What They Tell You and What They Don’t!, May 15, 2019 blog
https://www.buncombemastergardener.org/?s=soil+test 

Soil Tests: What They Tell You and What They Don’t!

“Have you done a soil test?” is one of the first questions Extension Master Gardeners ask if you’re starting a new gardening project. Do you know what a soil test can tell you—and what it can’t?

Soil Test Box and Sample Information Sheet

Useful information from soil tests:

  • Nutrients your plants need to grow
    • Primary macronutrients: Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K)
    • Secondary macronutrients: Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg), and Sulfur (S)
    • Minor nutrients: boron, chlorine, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, and zinc
  • Soil acidity level (pH)

Your soil test will tell you the amount and type of fertilizer to use to provide the nutrients your plants need and how to adjust the soil pH to the appropriate level. It can also tell you if you have too much of certain nutrients! Overfertilizing can be as detrimental to your plants’ growth as too little fertilizer.

 Your soil test won’t tell you if you have:

  • Poorly structured soils
    • Plants may have difficulty getting established on sites where topsoil was stripped away, or soil layers were disturbed and/or compacted during construction.
    • Heavy clay soils, in particular, are difficult for roots to penetrate.
  • Too much or too little soil moisture
    • Poorly drained soils may prevent plant roots from getting enough oxygen.
    • Drought or fast-draining soils may lead to root damage/death from too little soil moisture.
    • Watering too frequently or not deeply enough can create moisture problems for plants in good soils.
  • Plant competition
    • Shallow tree roots or the roots of plants spaced too closely may compete for soil nutrients.
    • Allelopathic plants—such as walnut trees—may act as herbicides and keep nearby plants from thriving.
    • Shade from other plants may inhibit growth of sun-lovers.

So, knowing the proper nutrients and soil pH is a start, but having your plants thrive means making sure your soil has appropriate soil structure and moisture, and providing them with appropriate space and plant companions.

Article by Debbie Green Buncombe County Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteer

For more information:

 Soil testing in North Carolina:

https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/extension-gardener-handbook/1-soils-and-plant-nutrients#section_heading_7241

 “What a Soil Test Does Not Tell You” (scroll down to last article in this newsletter):

https://hnr.k-state.edu/extension/info-center/newsletters/2018/Feb20_2018_7.pdf

Allelopathy in walnut trees:

https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/dam/pubs_ext_vt_edu/430/430-021/430-021_pdf.pdf

 

 

 

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Buncombe County Extension Office
49 Mount Carmel Road
Asheville, NC 28806
Helpline 828-255-5522

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